


The Children We Didn't Have

by jadeduck



Category: Beetlejuice - Perfect/Brown & King
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Beetlejuice Has Mood Ring Hair (Beetlejuice), F/M, Family, Miscarriage, Parenthood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 07:35:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 8,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27719632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jadeduck/pseuds/jadeduck
Summary: Adam and Barbara Maitland had a miscarriage several years before they died. When Beetlejuice finds out, he drops a bomb: their child is waiting for them in the Netherworld. Or, Adam and Barbara get to be the parents they deserve to be. Inspired by "The Children We Didn't Have" from Beetlejuice: The Demos, The Demos, The Demos.
Relationships: Adam Maitland/Barbara Maitland, Charles Deetz & Delia Deetz
Comments: 25
Kudos: 38





	1. Chapter 1

It was the first day of Lydia's sophomore year. Barbara did not want to get out of bed. She wanted to lie there and stare at the tear in the insulation forever. It looked like cotton candy, she thought. Sparkly cotton candy. 

Below her, she heard everyone start to get around, the click of the gas stove, the running of a faucet. Above her, the insulation threatened to spill out of its paper and drift down to the bed, leaving fiberglass splinters in the quilt. She'd never be able to get those out.

Adam was watching her carefully. He watched as her chest rose and fell in slow, calculated, unnecessary breaths.

"We should go see her off," Adam said. He squeezed Barbara's hand, but she did not return the gesture.

"I'll be down in a minute." Her voice was far away, and her eyes never left the ceiling. 

Adam kissed her temple and left the attic, wishing there was more that he could do, but knowing she needed space. She would come down in her own time.

Downstairs, Lydia was trying to refuse breakfast, insisting that she only needed coffee. She and Delia were going back and forth while Charles read the morning paper, completely oblivious to the daily happenings.

"Lydia, you need protein. It'll help you focus!" Delia insisted, pushing a plate of eggs towards her daughter.

"It makes me sick to eat this early," she retorted, looking down at the plate in front of her. The eggs were watery, and even the smell turned her stomach in knots.

"I don't care what you eat," Delia surrendered, taking the plate for herself, "as long as you eat something. Protein is what keeps you going, you know."

"Eat a spoonful of peanut butter," Adam suggested, entering the kitchen. He got the jar out of the cabinet and a spoon from the drawer and slid it across the table to Lydia. "It's what I used to do." 

"What a great idea," Delia said, taking another bite of the eggs that weren't meant for her. Lydia glared at him, but scooped out some peanut butter anyway.

"How are you feeling?" Adam asked as Lydia licked peanut butter off of her spoon. "Are you excited for your classes?"

"I'm excited for art," she said. "Most people last year were just taking it for credit. I'm hoping that now we can get into the really fun stuff since people are actually invested."

A gruff voice sounded from behind Adam. "I still don't see why you have to go to school." Beetlejuice came to sit next to Adam, across from Lydia. His hair was flat on one side, striped pajama pants cuffed around one ankle. "Sounds lame to me."

"I have to 'learn,'" Lydia said, giving air quotes and a sarcastic voice on "learn." She did like most of the school subjects, but the constant tests, papers, and projects were exhausting.

"What do you have to learn that I can't teach ya?" 

"What _could_ you teach her?" Delia shot back, holding her hand up to Adam for a high five. He gave it to her.

"Well," Beetlejuice started with a glare. "History? I been there, I probably know things her teacher don't. Reading and writing? She already knows how to do that. What does she need lessons for? Science? Again, I was there when all that stuff in her textbook was discovered. And I know some of it is bullshit."

"Language," Charles called out from behind his paper. Beetlejuice rolled his eyes.

"What about math?" Lydia asked, goading Beetlejuice on.

"Math? You want to learn about math? You can count, can't you? Add and subtract? When will you ever need to know any more than that? You've learned all you need to know." Lydia giggled, and Beetlejuice looked back at Delia, daring her to challenge him more.

"School is important for social emotional development," she said calmly, a smile grazing her lips.

"And I'm not?" Adam laughed, and Beetlejuice elbowed him in the side. 

"Oh, Adam used to do that," Barbara said, softer than usual, standing in the doorway of the kitchen and looking at Lydia with her peanut butter. She came to stand behind Adam's chair, placing a hand on his shoulder. He brought his hand up to cover hers. 

"Nice of you to finally join us, Babs," Beetlejuice said. He was joking, but her stomach dropped as she faked a smile. "Catching up on that beauty sleep?" 

"Something like that. How are you feeling, honey?" Barbara redirected her attention to Lydia. "You look nice."

"Thanks," she said. "I'm feeling good."

"Picture time," Delia called out. She stood up from the table and put her dishes in the dishwasher. "We have to do it now or we'll be late," she insisted, ushering Charles and Lydia from their chairs.

"Or we could not do it at all," Lydia groaned. Delia ignored her.

"Adam, would you?" she asked, holding out her phone. He took it and followed her to the living room. He and Barbara wouldn't show up in pictures, so they were often asked to be the family photographers. Beetlejuice often showed up as a fog, blurring everything else, so he was kindly asked to stay out of frame.

"Three, two, one, cheese!" Adam called out, snapping several photos as he did.

"Beautiful," Barbara called out. "Have a great first day, Lydia."

"I'll see you guys later." She ran to them and gave them both quick hugs. By the time Barbara moved to wrap her arms around Lydia, she was already gone. Barbara wished she could've held her longer. She heard the car start outside and watched it drive away, Lydia in the back on her way to school, Delia and Charles on their way to work.

"You good, B?" Beetlejuice asked as she stared out the window. She looked like she might cry. "They'll be back." 

Barbara collected herself with a deep breath. "I'm going back upstairs."

And off she went, leaving Beetlejuice and Adam in the foyer.

"What's wrong with her?"

"Hard day," Adam replied, breaking his focus from the stairs. "Can ghosts summon things? I see you do it all the time."

"Sure they can."

"Would you teach me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first fanfic in a long time, so I'd love some feedback! This is a story I wanted to read, so I hope you're enjoying it!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Miscarriage, blood

Barbara shut the attic door tight behind her, not that it would stop anyone left in the house. As much as she wanted to sink back into bed, she found herself walking to the farthest corner of the attic.

She sat criss-cross on the floor, her dress stretched between her knees. From the shadows, she pulled a short cardboard box, no taller than her hand. Shakily, she removed the lid.

Inside was a pair of yellow knitted baby booties, a roll of ultrasound photos, and an ink stamping of a too tiny foot. Barbara took the booties in her hand, rubbed her thumb across them, and started to cry. The foot stamped on the paper would never fit into them. It was far too small.

"Barbara?" she heard Adam call softly. He knocked lightly on the door. "Honey, I'm coming in." She wiped the tears from her face and tried to put the box away, but it was too late. Her husband was already there, a bouquet of light pink and white carnations in his hand.

"Where did you get those?" Barbara asked, hiccuping out the words.

"Beetlejuice helped me summon them," he replied, sitting down next to his wife. He put the flowers aside and picked up the footprint. He could almost see the print from the back leaking through: "Baby Maitland, August 16, 2016." Barbara leaned on his shoulder, her tears soaking his shirt.

"Does he know?" she asked. Adam shook his head. "She would have been four," she cried, picking up the booties and bringing them to her nose, as if they would carry the scent of the daughter who never wore them. 

"I know," Adam said. Barbara didn't have anything else to say, she just cried, and Adam repeated it.

It wasn't that Adam wasn't sad. On his only child's birth and death day, of course he was sad. They had wanted this baby. They had tried so hard to have her. There had been so many faintly positive pregnancy tests that went negative after Barbara's period came. They had tried so many times. And when she finally got and stayed pregnant, they were over the moon.

And then they made it to the second trimester, they started telling their families. Everyone was overjoyed. They saw the ultrasound photos, they heard the heartbeat.

And then there was Barbara screaming, and blood on the sheets. Adam driving over the speed limit praying he didn't get pulled over. Barbara in a hospital bed, squeezing Adam's hand as the doctor told her they couldn't stop her labor, that she was having her baby five months early. There's a slim chance of survival. 

"It's a girl," the doctor told them before she was whisked away to the NICU. Barbara was reaching out to hold her, but she was already gone. They didn't hear her cry. They never even got to look at her.

The doctor who took her away came back a few hours later. Barbara was silent, glassy-eyed. The baby hadn't made it. There will be paperwork, but would you like to hold her first?

She was so tiny. Adam cried, then. She had ten fingers, and ten toes. She looked so perfect, just too tiny, too still. Barbara just looked down at the child in her arms, only half there mentally.

"Would you like to give her a name?" the nurse asked, ready with a clipboard. They had thought of names, but weren't close to a decision. They had five months left. They didn't even know the sex.

All Adam could say was "baby," the name printed on the tag around her ankle. He couldn't think of anything else. The doctor noted it down, waited until they seemed ready to part with the baby. And then he took her, and she was gone.

So it wasn't that Adam wasn't sad. Of course he was sad. But he had been able to work through his grief in the way Barbara never could. And she needed him. So he sat on the floor and rubbed her back, waiting until she was ready to pack the box up for next year.

"It wasn't your fault," he reminded her. She hadn't said it was, but he knew she was thinking it. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "It wasn't anybody's fault, it just happened."

"I wish we could bring them to her," Barbara said, reaching out for the flowers. Adam handed them to her, and she rubbed her fingertips across the petals. Baby Maitland's urn had sat above her crib for two years. When they died, it was put in Barbara's casket, swaddled in the yellow blanket that matched the booties and nestled in the crook of her arm. 

"We could ask Lydia," Adam suggested. 

"We'd have to explain." 

"Oh secrets secrets, what are we explaining?" Beetlejuice teased from the doorway. Adam and Barbara jumped, scrambling to return everything to its box as he stepped closer. 

"Get out," Adam said, a defensive tone to his voice.

Beetlejuice looked at the floor in front of the Maitlands. His hair turned deep purple. "Oh." It was too late. The footprint was upside down, and Beetlejuice saw "Baby Maitland" written on the back. "I'm sorry, I'll go, I shouldn't have--" he backed away, not equipped to deal with any of their emotions.

"Wait," Barbara called, now that it was clear he saw. She looked up at him with tearful eyes. He looked like a deer in headlights, frozen one foot out the door. She held out the flowers. "Can you... Could you send these to her?"

"I, um. Yeah, sure. Where?"

"My grave," she said quietly. Beetlejuice approached slowly and took the bouquet from her hands. He closed his eyes, concentrated, and the bouquet vanished in a puff of pink smoke. When he opened his eyes, Barbara had a small smile on her lips. 

"Thank you, Beetlejuice."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know how to write funny characters, so Beetlejuice is just sad and really trying! Hopefully I get better as I write. This is my first fanfic in a long time, so I'd love some feedback! This is a story I wanted to read, so I hope you're enjoying it!
> 
> Also, I'm in Tumblr now! I missed the big Tumblr wave back in the day, so I'm not quite sure how to use it, but come follow me @jadeduck-writes! If you have ideas/suggestions for this story, or other stories, I'd love to hear them! Also help me figure out how to find things to follow, I'm old lol.


	3. Chapter 3

Beetlejuice fled to the guest bedroom, mortified at his own intrusion. Since living in the Deetz-Maitland household, he had been taught about boundaries. And most of the time, he ignored them.

But boundaries would have saved his ass this time. He wouldn't have had to deal with all of their emotions if he had just knocked. He was pretty clueless, but even he knew that was a private moment filled with things he was not supposed to know. He sat on the bed and tried to erase it all from his memory, pulling at his still-purple hair. He did not want to know about the Maitland's baby. He did not want to remember the way Barbara smiled at him, so broken but so genuine, with so much sadness in her eyes. He did not want to remember the way Adam glared daggers at him. 

He did not want to have to comfort them. The Maitlands were good people. They treated him well, and he did care for them. But he was a demon, goddammit, caring wasn't his forte. If he comforted them the way he wanted to, he would for sure make it all worse. That's what he always did in emotional situations, make it all worse.

And by the looks of it, Barbara couldn't handle any worse.

He laid back on the bed, arm thrown over his eyes, exasperated. Lydia was gone, but even when she came back, he couldn't tell her. He knew well enough that this was to be kept between Adam and Barbara. He couldn't tell Delia or Charles. He was just supposed to live with it, this massive weight of his friends' grief, and not be able to do anything.

With that, he poofed into the Netherworld, hoping someone there would know how to make him forget.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter! Beetlejuice is a sad man, because again, that's what I know how to write, and that's what this story is! Still working on the humor.
> 
> Also, I'm in Tumblr now! I missed the big Tumblr wave back in the day, so I'm not quite sure how to use it, but come follow me @jadeduck-writes! If you have ideas/suggestions for this story, or other stories, I'd love to hear them! Also help me figure out how to find things to follow, I'm old lol.


	4. Chapter 4

Lydia came home to an unusually quiet house. “Hello?” she called, dropping her backpack by the door and wandering into the kitchen. “I’m home!” She heard the attic door click quietly, Adam shuffling quietly down the stairs.

“How was school?” he asked. Lydia sat at the table with a Nutella sandwich, taking a big bite. She nodded as she chewed.

“Pretty good, but I already have reading to do,” she groaned. “ _To Kill a Mockingbird_.”

“Oh, I loved that book. Atticus is the man.” 

“We’ll see,” Lydia replied hesitantly. “There are too many people that are excited that they can say the n-word.”

“Gross.” Lydia nodded in response, taking another bite of her sandwich. 

“Where is everyone? It’s quiet in here,” she asked, looking around to see if anyone else had popped in from the shadows.

“Barbara is upstairs, she… It’s a hard day for her, and she just needs some space. Come to think of it, I don’t know where Beetlejuice is.” Adam furrowed his brow. Where had he gone? It wasn’t like he could leave the house.

“Is Barbara okay?” Lydia had never seen Barbara upset enough to stay in the attic before. “Was it something Beetlejuice did? I’ll talk to him.”

“No, Beetlejuice didn’t do anything. She just needs some space. Why don’t you get started reading? I’m sure Beetlejuice will be back soon, and he’ll want all the details of your day.” Adam smiled at her, a familiar paternal warmth pulling at his heart. “Enjoy the quiet while you can.” 

Lydia dropped her dishes in the sink. “Tell Barbara I hope she feels better.” 

Adam nodded. “I will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter, since they're both so short! Sometimes I forget how much time has passed between posting chapters, so sorry for the wait! I'll be trying to post more regularly once finals week ends!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy end of finals week to me! I'm back with a big chapter! This gets a little weird, just bear with me!

Beetlejuice reappeared in the house just before dinner, a manilla folder in his hand. He stuck it inside his jacket and trudged up to Lydia’s room, demanding all the juicy gossip from the day. 

After everyone had gone to sleep, he made his way to the attic door. Beetlejuice stood there for several minutes, not entirely sure what to do. Finally he knocked, softly, almost hoping they wouldn't hear him. 

But they did. Adam opened the door and stood aside, inviting Beetlejuice into the attic. Beetlejuice stood just inside the door, looking at Barbara. She was curled up under a pile of blankets, looking so small. She gave him a weak smile. His hair flushed dark purple. 

“Hi buddy,” she said, sitting up in bed. 

“Hi Babs. Can we, um, can we talk? And you too Adam.” Beetlejuice avoided looking straight at her, her disheveled hair and tired eyes seeming so out of place. He didn’t know what he was doing. He wanted to tell her that she looked like hell and then have her magically back to normal, laughing as she told him that he didn’t look much better. 

Adam looked at his wife, unsure about whatever conversation was about to happen. Barbara needed to rest, and Beetlejuice wasn’t the best at facilitating calm. He wanted to tell Beetlejuice to come back tomorrow, but Barbara patted the space in front of her on the bed.

“Sure, come sit down.” She held her arms out for them. Adam sat beside her, his arm around her shoulder. As Beetlejuice took his place in front of her, Adam eyed him warily, begging him not to do something stupid. Beetlejuice got the hint, but wasn’t sure of his ability to not fuck things up. 

He cleared his throat. “First of all, I’m sorry I barged in earlier. I should have knocked.” It embarrassed him to apologize, yellow tips popping into his hair, but Delia always insisted that it was important. Barbara patted the top of his hand.

“Thank you for saying that,” she said, her eyes filled with an unbelievable kindness. The yellow faded, replaced with a soft pink, barely there against the prevailing purple. He almost wished she were angry. He knew what to do with angry. “And thank you for sending the flowers… y’know.” 

“Oh, no big deal,” Beetlejuice coughed. “Anytime, really.” He pulled the folder from his jacket, laying it on the bed between them. Adam stared down at it; Barbara’s eyes stayed trained on the demon, waiting for him to continue, her hand pulling at her necklace.

“I went to the Netherworld,” he started, slowly pushing the folder towards the couple. “Got your file. Probably should have read it before, but, uh-” he shook his head, trying to gather his thoughts. “I didn’t. Anyway, not really sure how to say this, so I’ll just get on with it. Your baby is waiting for you in the Netherworld if you want to go get her.” 

Barbara’s hand fell to the bed. She looked straight ahead, dumbfounded. She didn’t say a word. Adam snatched the file off of the quilt, flipping through the pages. Sure enough, there it was: _Baby Maitland, Nursery, 2016-8-16-20:52-7_. Barbara may have had no reaction, but Adam sure did. 

“Our baby has been in _hell_ all this time, and you never thought to tell us?” he snarled, wanting to jump up and grab Beetlejuice by the collar. 

“I didn’t know,” Beetlejuice admitted softly, raising his hands in front of him. “She’s safe. Children, it’s really the best part of the Netherworld. When they die--”

“They suffer? Isn’t that what the Netherworld is, torture and paperwork?”

“Adam, let him finish,” Barbara said suddenly, looking up at Beetlejuice with big eyes. “What happens?” 

Beetlejuice took a deep breath. “When children die, they wait for their parents. Young children, two and under, they go to the Nursery. They sleep until their parents come collect them, or some other ghost decides to adopt them. They’re cared for and comfortable. The older children, up until about 16, they live in a boarding-school type situation. It isn’t the best education in the world, considering the teachers are volunteers and come from all different times, but they’re safe until their parents can take them and finish raising them.” Barbara clasped her hands over her face and choked out a sob, which was not what Beetlejuice was going for. “Your caseworker would have told you if you’d gone to the Netherworld.” He wanted to say that he was sorry, but Adam interrupted him before he could.

“ _You_ stopped us from going to the Netherworld, Beetlejuice! Jesus Christ, we’ve been dead two years! And you never thought--” Adam was cut off as Barbara threw her arms around Beetlejuice’s neck. Both men froze. Beetlejuice slowly wrapped his arms around Barbara’s waist, and Adam just watched, unsure of how his wife could ignore the fact that this had been kept from her for so long.

“Will she grow?” Barbara asked into his shoulder. Beetlejuice nodded.

“Yeah. Kids grow past infancy once someone claims them. They’ll stop eventually, and that age is kind of random. But she’ll grow. And if she was sick, she won’t be anymore. Children are healthy in the Netherworld.” Barbara pulled away, tears streaking her face. She grabbed Adam’s hand. Adam, who was still reeling, still angry, watched as his wife lit up with hope.

“Are there others?” she asked. “There were a lot of--" her eyes closed, and she took a deep breath. “A lot of earlier losses.” Beetlejuice shook his head.

“Gotta make it to the second trimester,” he told them. “Something to do with brain development.” Barbara’s face fell, for a second. But then her smile came back, and she squeezed her husband’s hand. 

“She’s there,” she told him, waiting for his anger to pass. She laughed and said it again. “Adam, she’s waiting for us.” 

Watching his wife, his demeanor softened. He put aside the betrayal he felt and embraced her, squeezing her tight. 

The purple in Beetlejuice’s hair faded as he looked at them, settling back to a contented yellow green, the pink tips stubbornly staying put. The joy on their faces was palpable; he had never seen anything like it. 

“Can we see her?” Barbara asked, pulling away from her husband to stare directly into Beetlejuice’s eyes. Somehow, she was afraid he’d say no. That this was a joke, or that they couldn’t get her because they didn’t live in the Netherworld. She looked at Beetlejuice with all the hope in the world. Lydia had looked at him like that once, when he said he could bring her mom back. 

He gave her a toothy grin. “‘Course, Babs. She’s your kid.” 

Beetlejuice grabbed each of their wrists and sent them up in a puff of green smoke, the bed where they sat left empty, the quilt slightly damp with happy tears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BJ has a soft spot for kids, we love to see it. 
> 
> Okay, explanation time.
> 
> First of all: pro-lifers, don't come for me. I had to make something work for the storyline.
> 
> The idea that children wait for their parents is something I'm borrowing from Mormon theology. In Mormonism, when a child dies, they wait in Heaven until their parents come along and can finish raising them to adulthood. Clearly I've made some tweaks: there's no Nursery or school in Mormon theology, and you can't just adopt someone else's kid. Also, I totally made up the second trimester thing. The actual mechanics of how it works in Mormonism aren't really laid out, but the concept is there, and it's a pretty important thing in Mormonism. I was raised Mormon, and have been thinking about this concept for Adam and Barbara since I heard the song. Feel free to leave questions in the comments if you have them; I know it's out there, but it is important to the story.
> 
> So going forward, I'll be blending this with what little I know about the Netherworld, and making things up as I close the gap. I'm not going to be adding in God/gods or anything like that. Hopefully it works for you all! 
> 
> As always, let me know what you think! And find me on Tumblr at jadeduck-writes.


	6. Chapter 6

Barbara, Adam, and Beetlejuice were not there when Lydia woke up the next morning. She went about her routine, the overwhelming humanness of the house making her uneasy. By the time she was ready for school, she had not interacted with a single dead person. Not one. And it felt wrong. 

"They're probably fine," Delia tried to assure her. "Just off running ghost errands somewhere, I bet." Delia gently tapped the back of Lydia's hand two times, breaking her out of her nail-biting trance. Lydia lowered her hand. 

"They've never run ghost errands before," she countered, clasping and unclasping her hands on the tabletop. "Not all three of them." 

"I'm sure they'll be back soon." Delia really didn't know what to say to reassure her stepdaughter. It was a suspicious situation. But feeding into those ideas would only make it worse. So she ushered Lydia into the car and dropped her off at school, hoping some distraction would help. 

Lydia did not get distracted. At least, not from the ghosts' absence. She was completely distracted from her schoolwork, all nail biting and bouncing knees as she stared at the clock. The pit in her stomach had started to grow larger, as if someone was tugging on her intestines with a rope. By third period, she had been sent to the nurse to lie down. 

She could not stop thinking, not even as she tried to focus on her breaths like Delia taught her. Beetlejuice pops in and out sometimes, but he’d never been gone for this long. Adam and Barbara were simply never gone. Her breaths grew quicker, shallower. She had thought of summoning Beetlejuice back, but what if they were taken, and his return left Adam and Barbara defenseless? What could have taken them? Juno came to mind, but she wouldn’t have taken them so quietly. Would someone else have kidnapped them? Could someone else have kidnapped them? 

Or did they leave on purpose? Lydia’s breaths stopped altogether then, stuck in her throat. Did Adam and Barbara decide to move on, and did Beetlejuice help them go? She always knew it was a possibility. They were, after all, dead. But she had assumed--hoped?--that they wouldn’t leave until she did. Her stomach screwed up tightly at the thought. 

“Sweetie, should I call your parents?” the nurse called. “You’re looking awfully sick.” 

“Please,” Lydia croaked, before her stomach seized again and she had to rush to the trash can. 

The nurse draped a cold paper towel over the back of her neck. “Someone will be here soon.” 

***

Delia was trying her best. Lydia was in bed, curled in around herself, eyes scrunched tight against her own thoughts. Delia sat beside her, arranging crystals on her bedside table as she tried to guide her stepdaughter’s breaths. 

“What if they don’t come back?” Lydia said, for the thousandth time. “What if they left and didn’t say goodbye?”

“They wouldn’t do that,” Delia assured her, handing Lydia a crystal so she had something to hold on to. “You know they wouldn’t.” Lydia held it in her fist, running her thumb across a jagged edge. 

“What if they _did_?”

“They didn’t,” Delia repeated, firmer this time. “Remember to think of your light.” 

“I can’t think of my light!” Lydia shouted, bolting upright. “I can only think of them and how they’re gone!” She looked Delia straight in the eyes for a few moments before looking away, the hard panic in her eyes melting away to fear. Her eyes were red and puffy, hair tangled. 

“I know.” Delia was gentle. “But I do know they’ll be back, and I’m sure enough for the both of us.” It was true. She didn’t know why they left, couldn’t fathom it, but she was sure they’d be back. “You don’t have to know. You can leave that to me. I just need you to focus on your light, imagine it filling you up from head to toe.” 

Lydia protested at first, but she didn’t have the energy to maintain her panic. Slowly, her shaky breaths came further apart. Her shoulders loosened, dropping down to a more natural posture. 

“And imagine it spreading outward,” Delia directed. Lydia’s grip on the crystal relaxed. She slumped back against her headboard. 

“I’m sorry,” she muttered. She was not panicking anymore, but she was not magically fixed, either. Her stomach still hurt, and she was still worried, but her mind wasn’t stuck on a one-trap loop of “they left me.” 

“You don’t need to be,” Delia reminded her. “Why don’t you take a shower? It will be cleansing. Come downstairs when you’re done, we’ll order lunch. I’m sure you’re probably starving.” 

Lydia wasn’t hungry, not even remotely. But a hot shower did sound nice, so she nodded. Delia squeezed her hand and left the room. 

Lydia turned the shower on as hot as it could go, letting the room fill with steam before she turned down the temperature and stepped in. The steam fogged the mirrors and opened her lungs, dissolving through the knot in her throat. She could breathe again. 

She noticed it right before she stepped into the shower. It was on the mirror. Choppy, hardly-used script, writing out:

R OK. B BACK SOON. 

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, allowing the steam to lull her body fully into relaxation. “They’ll be back,” she said to herself as the water hit her. “And they’ll be okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, sorry friends! The next chapter may take a little while to go up. I've been thinking about it a lot, but I just can't seem to write it, and with Christmas coming up, I've had no time! I'm crafting and baking up a storm! I apologize for the delay; I promise it will be worth it!
> 
> As always, let me know what you think! And merry Christmas to those who celebrate!


	7. Chapter 7

The Netherworld wasn’t what either of the Maitlands expected, but to be truthful, they didn’t know what they were expecting. Beetlejuice had zapped them into what seemed like the middle of nowhere. They stood in front of a tall brick building, rows and rows of windows rising almost endlessly into the grey sky, like the pictures of tenement buildings they had seen in their history textbooks. Rickety metal fire escapes snaked up the bricks, surely not up to code. Although, the residents were dead. Would they even need a fire escape if there was a fire? Could there _be_ a fire? 

Barbara felt as if something was watching her, unseen, waiting for the right moment to pounce. She looked around, looking for the source of her discomfort, but nothing stood out. Behind them was a white wooden sign that told them they had found the Nursery. A similar brick building stood about a mile away, this one with a chain link fence and playground equipment. Barbara assumed that it was the School. 

“This is it?” Adam asked, looking up toward the sky. “She’s here?”

“It’s nicer on the inside,” Beetlejuice said. “A hell of a lot nicer than anywhere else, I’ll tell you.” 

For a place filled with everyone who ever lived, it was eerily quiet. “Where is everyone?” Barbara asked. 

“We’re way out here,” Beetlejuice responded, standing several feet ahead of the Matilands. He turned around to face them. “The City is a while that way.” He pointed behind the Maitlands. “No need for them to be close to the bars and clubs and all that. Like I said, Admin actually cares about the kids.” 

Barbara thought that was actually quite a nice consideration. She held onto Adam’s hand, tightly, still uneasy about being there. Something in her worried that they might get stuck there, that they might get hurt, or caught, or kidnapped. Who knows what happens in the Netherworld? 

“Let’s go,” she said, squeezing Adam’s hand. “It feels weird here, let’s go.” She wanted to leave, and she sure didn’t want her baby stuck there any longer than she had to be. 

“It’s better inside. Pretty rude to talk about a guy’s homeworld like that,” Beetlejuice grumbled, and he started towards the building, Adam and Barbara following close behind. Barbara held Adam’s hand tightly, wondering if he was feeling the same unease as she was. Beetlejuice didn’t seem to. He walked easier, his arms swinging by his side. She even heard him take a few deep breaths, as if he liked the stale air surrounding them. 

There was a man on the stoop, big, buff, and covered in tattoos. He wore a bandana on his head and had a scraggly beard. When he saw them approaching, he stood in front of the doors, arms crossed. 

“Who is that?” Adam asked quietly, not wanting to be rude. The man looked like he could crush Adam with his bare hands, not the best person to piss off. Beetlejuice did not answer.

“Griller, my man!” Beetlejuice called as he walked up the steps. Adam and Barbara followed, but kept a distance. “Maitlands, meet Griller. Was a biker, now he’s Nursery Security. Keeps the people who shouldn’t have access to the kids out, y’know, the abusive parents, the pedos, the people who want kids to be their slaves. Most come to the School, but the Nursery needs protecting too.”

“And your ‘marry-a-15-year-old’ kind of guys” Griller huffed, widening his stance. “What are you doing here?”

“Aw man, you know it wasn’t like that,” Beetlejuice whined, his hair only slightly yellowing. He turned to the Maitlands. “At least you know your girl’s protected. He’s the best of the best.” He turned back to Griller. “These two need to pick up their kid. We should’ve been here earlier, but y’know, guiding isn’t my thing.” Griller looked unsatisfied, but stepped aside anyway.

“Don’t do anything dumb,” he warned as Beetlejuice opened the door. Beetlejuice gave him a salute and stepped inside, the Maitlands close behind. 

Inside was much cozier than outside. They were greeted with warm lights and dark brown wainscotting on the walls. The rest of the walls were painted yellow, rattles and blocks stenciled around the top like trim. They heard footsteps down the halls, wooden doors opening and closing. Chairs lined the walls, a few people occupying them, distracted with paperwork or books or other things. One set of footsteps came closer until a woman stood in front of them. She was dressed in a black habit.

“Gianna,” Beetlejuice smiled. “Still with the whole nun thing after all this?”

“I don’t know any other way,” she responded, shaking Beetlejuice’s hand. “And who do we have here?” she asked, turning to the Maitlands. Her eyes crinkled in the corners when she smiled.

“Adam Matiland, and Barbara, my wife,” Adam said. He let go of Barbara’s hand to shake Gianna’s. Barbara did the same. Somehow, Gianna felt warm. Not physically, of course, but there was something about her that made Barbara feel more at ease, although not completely. 

“Oh, the Maitlands!” she gasped, clasping her hands together. “Your little girl is beautiful, she’s in my ward.” 

“We’re here to take her home,” Barbara says, speaking too loudly and too quickly for her own good. 

“Of course. Congratulations! I’ll take you to her,” Gianna says, gesturing down a hallway.

“I’ll be here with the other guides,” Beetlejuice said, turning to sit in a chair. 

“No!” Barbara objected, grabbing his arm below the elbow before he could move any further. His hand wrapped around her wrist instinctively, his fingers touching under her palm. She stood there, trapped between Adam and Beetlejuice, staring at him.

“Barbara, babe,” he started, trying to lighten the mood but not sure what to say. She looked wild, her eyes piercing him. He put his hand over hers. “Gianna will take you to her. Adam will be with you. It’s okay.” 

“ _Please_ ,” she begged. She was terrified. Terrified of the unknown workings of the Netherworld, terrified of getting stuck there, terrified of being without her safety net of a demon. And maybe, maybe, scared of seeing her daughter, unsure of what to expect. Just a little. 

And Beetlejuice didn’t get all that. He didn’t know all of the inner workings of her mind the way Adam did (and Adam _did_ , maybe he even felt some of those same things, but not as much as Barbara). But he did see that, for some reason, she was scared. And for some reason, he could help. Maybe his hair turned a little pink, maybe it turned a little blue, or purple. But he looked up at Gianna, who nodded. 

“Okay,” he said, carefully lifting her hand off of his arm. “I’ll come if it makes you feel better. Stay out of your way. C’mon.” He tilted his head toward Gianna, who just smiled, like she always did. 

“Right this way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, but I hope it's worth it! I'm going pretty blind with the Netherworld here, but hopefully the world building worked! Admittedly it isn't my favorite thing to do, which is why this chapter took longer. As always let me know what you think!


	8. Chapter 8

Gianna stopped in front of a set of double doors, pulling a file out of a locked cabinet. “Before we go in, there are a few steps for verification. You understand.” Adam and Barbara nodded, and Gianna started down a long list of questions. What’s Baby’s birthdate? What are their birthdates? Where was she born? On and on. Adam was grateful there was something like that. Griller seemed capable and all, but a biker guard was no guarantee against kidnapping or baby swaps. 

“And what is her code?” Gianna asked, opening the door. Beetlejuice took the file out of his coat pocket and handed it to Adam.

“2016-8-16-20:52-7,” Adam read. Gianna started to lead them towards the middle of the room. They walked past rows and rows of wooden cribs, babies sleeping peacefully inside them. A woman in a red sari sat in a rocking chair next to a crib, holding a baby dressed in an elephant onesie. A man dressed in black pants, suspenders, and a white shirt was sweeping the floor. Several others paced the room, making sure the babies were comfortable. Adam assumed they were the volunteers Beetlejuice had mentioned. It wouldn’t be so bad, he thought, to take care of babies forever. 

“What does the code mean?” Barbara asked. 

“The first part is the baby’s death date,” Gianna explained, “then their time of death. Then what number they are for that minute. Your baby was seven, so six other infants died in that minute before she did.” Gianna was scanning plates on the floor, numbered with codes, like the ones for a library book. 

“Oh,” was all Barbara could say. It made sense. They had a lot of babies to keep track of. But it felt strange to label them with numbers.

“Here’s your row,” Gianna said, turning them to walk between cribs. Then she stopped, and rested her hand on one. “And here she is, Baby Maitland.” 

Beetlejuice hung back, staying in the aisle. Intruding on the Maitlands had done enough damage; he’d let them have their moment. 

Adam is the one who picked her up. She was dressed in the dress she was cremated in, a white lace one with a gold bow. Adam’s grandmother had given it to them, hoping they’d choose to have her baptized. They didn’t, but cremating her in a onesie didn’t feel right. 

She was so small, not even two pounds. Her arms and legs were the same width as Adam’s fingers. But still, she had ten perfect, tiny fingers, with tiny fingernails and fingerprints. She had ten toes. Her lips were slightly open, and when Adam picked her up, she opened her eyes. They were dark, dark blue, staring up at him. He smiled down at her. She was tiny, but she was perfect.

“I have some paperwork to get together,” Gianna said quietly, putting a hand on Barbara’s back as she left them with their baby. 

“Come hold her,” Adam said, turning towards Barbara. 

Barbara didn’t have to be told twice. She rushed to Adam, taking Baby from his arms, and the memories of her birth flooded back. Barbara in the hospital bed. Barbara calling out for her. Adam holding her after she died. She looked just like she did then, tiny, fragile. 

She traced Baby’s nose with a shaky finger, her cheeks, let Baby grasp her index finger. Anything to remind herself that she was safe. She couldn’t die again. The birth slowly left Barbara’s mind as she was filled with the absolute bliss of holding her daughter, the one she thought she’d never get to see again. 

And then Baby started to cry. It broke her heart to hear it, but it was also the most beautiful sound she’d ever heard. Barbara rocked her until she calmed down, Baby’s eyelids drooping. It had to be exhausting, being coddled after so long. 

“Alright, I have some things for you,” Gianna said, breaking Baby’s spell. “First of all, a name change form. Most parents who have a Baby didn’t intend for that to be used as the name, so you can change it. Just fill this out and send it back, your guide,” Gianna looked hard at Beetlejuice, reminding him of his responsibilities, “can help you get it sent off.”

“We’ll have to talk about it,” Adam said. “We were still far from a decision when she was born.”

“That’s perfectly alright,” Gianna reassured him. “Secondly, unlike the living world, babies do come with instruction manuals here! Most people don’t know others with dead children, so we wrote this up for post-death parenthood. Like _The Handbook for the Recently Deceased_. Don’t lose it. 

“And finally, the papers for you to sign so you can take her home. If you want to follow me, we can sign them at the desk.” She handed Beetlejuice the Handbook and name change forms and led the Maitlands back to the main area, showing them where to initial and sign. Adam went first, then took Baby so Barbara could do her part. 

“And with that,” Gianna said, stacking up the papers, “you are free to take her. Congratulations.” 

“We can take her,” Barbara echoed, looking at Baby in Adam’s arms. “Back home?” She turned to Beetlejuice for confirmation, still somehow nervous that she wouldn’t be allowed to leave the Netherworld. 

“Of course, Babs. You guys ready?” He put the paperwork in his jacket pocket, which somehow showed no sign of the bulk. Adam looked at Barbara, ready to confirm their departure, when she suddenly covered her mouth and raised her eyebrows

“What’s wrong?” he asked, wondering if he had missed something.

“What are we going to tell the Deetz?” she asked. “You don’t just bring a baby into someone’s house without telling them first!” Adam relaxed, grateful for the normalcy of his wife’s courtesy. Beetlejuice laughed.

“Oh I’m looking forward to seeing your explanation of all this,” Beetlejuice laughed. “Gonna make popcorn and everything.” 

He grabbed each of their shoulders, and just as quickly as they had come, they were gone from the Netherworld and back in the attic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early chapter for this week to make up for the late one last week! We're getting close to the end now! Does anyone have any name suggestions for Baby? I have one, but I'm not totally sold on it yet. Let me know if you do!
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoy it. Happy New Year, everyone! We made it through 2020! Here's to 2021 being better!


	9. Chapter 9

Lydia woke to a commotion downstairs. She jumped out of bed and practically threw herself down the stairs, entering the living room to find the dead residents of the home all present, among a million other things.

“You’re back!” she shouted, launching herself at whichever one was closest to her. It happened to be Adam, who was standing in the middle of the room, surrounded by a pile of objects it seemed he had spent all night summoning. 

“Hey kiddo,” he said, turning his attention away from the antique wooden crib he had been working on summoning. It had come out all wrong. First, it was the wrong size, then the wrong color, and then somehow it changed from wood to iron entirely. Beetlejuice could have fixed it, no problem, but Adam wanted to do it himself. Lydia didn’t even comprehend it was there.

Lydia couldn’t feel him, exactly. He just felt cold. But she knew the cold meant he was really there, and she was grateful for it. 

Barbara was sitting on the couch with paperwork strewn all over the end table, pen in hand. Lydia didn’t even notice Delia in the rocking chair (did they have a rocking chair?), or Charles standing over her shoulder when she flew by. Barbara’s paperwork was quickly abandoned for a tight embrace.

“I was scared,” Lydia admitted, only loud enough for Barbara to hear. 

“I’m sorry,” Barbara crooned, rubbing circles on the back of her head. “We should have told you we left, why we left--. We had Beetlejuice, though. You know he wouldn’t let anything happen down there.” 

“Down there?” Lydia asked, pulling away. She had assumed they had gone to the Netherworld, but had still hoped otherwise. When she opened the door in the attic, Adam had almost gotten sucked in. What if they hadn’t been able to come back? “Why did you go?”

“Oh I’ve been waiting for this all morning,” Beetlejuice crowed, entering from the kitchen, a bowl of popcorn in his hand. His eyes glinted mischievously, his hair neon green, almost pulsing.

“You asshole, where were you? Couldn’t leave me more than a text on the mirror?” Lydia called, smiling as she did. She went to him and hugged him too, and he wrapped one arm around her, never fully committing to returning a hug. “Tell me next time,” she said softly, pulling away and taking a piece of popcorn from the bowl. He smacked her hand playfully.

“That’s for them to say,” he replied, looking over at the Maitlands. Barbara extended her hand to Lydia, beckoning her back to the couch. Adam moved to join them. 

“Well it’s a long story,” Barbara started, “and probably better to start at the end and go backwards.” Beetlejuice stood in the corner, watching intently as he munched loudly on his popcorn. 

“We have a baby,” Barbara said, pointing to Delia. Delia, who was sitting in the rocking chair. Delia, next to a crib. Delia, who had a baby in her arms.

Lydia’s eyes opened. Suddenly, instead of the tunnel vision she had for the Maitlands and Beetlejuice, she saw the crib, the baby clothes, the high chair sitting across the room. She saw a tiny, ghostly hand wrapped around Delia’s finger, almost completely opaque, but not quite, like the Maitlands before they practiced being visible. And Charles and Delia were smiling down at it. Lydia’s heart dropped. 

“What?” She turned to Barbara, then to Adam. “How?”

Adam cleared his throat. “When we were alive, um--”

“I lost a baby,” Barbara interjected. She said it with no emotion, like it was just a fact of life. “I went into labor early, and she died. It was her birthday a few days ago, and Beetlejuice went looking in our file in the Netherworld, and, well…” Barbara smiled. “We went and got her.” Barbara took her hand and squeezed it. “Beetlejuice says she’ll grow like a living baby; we have a book about it. You can read it if you want.” 

It was wrong of Lydia, it was. But the first feelings that rushed through her were not happiness, or excitement. It was jealousy, almost anger. She lost her mom, but she had gained the Maitlands. It wasn’t a perfect trade, of course not, but it was something to fill the hole. And maybe, maybe Lydia had filled a hole for them too without even knowing it. But now they get their baby back? She doesn’t get her mom back, that isn’t fair. Would they even need her anymore? Would they even love her? If they have their own baby… They don’t need a replacement daughter. 

But she shook her head, shook the thoughts away. This was a good thing. If her mom could come back, the Maitlands would have helped her find a way. The Maitlands would be happy for her. The Maitlands wouldn’t be so selfish. 

So Lydia forced a smile, because she wasn’t sure how she felt, but she knew how she should feel. “That’s great, guys.” Barbara beamed at her, and Adam gave her another hug. 

“We’re still working on a name,” Barbara said, gesturing to the paperwork beside her. “Before she died, we didn’t get around to it.”

“I guess Lydia is off the table now,” Adam joked, poking Lydia in the side. 

“It’ll probably be super white and super boring,” Beetlejuice groaned from the corner. Delia shot him a look. “What? Their names are _Adam_ and _Barbara_. You know it’s true.” Lydia laughed at that. It was true, not that it was bad. 

“I can get my computer,” Lydia offered. “And we can look through those baby name websites, if you want.”

“That would be great, honey,” Barbara said, rubbing her shoulder. Before she left the room, she went over to Delia, looking down at the tiny baby in her arms. She almost looked like a baby doll, sleeping in perfect serenity. 

“Does she feel like them?” Lydia asked. Delia nodded.

“Cold and tingly. The blanket does too, they had to do something to it so she could interact with it.”

“You were never quite this tiny,” Charles says, breaking his silence. “You were small, but not this tiny. And you had more hair.” 

“Do you want to hold her?” Delia asked. Lydia shook her head.

“I’ve got to go get my computer.” 

Lydia took deep breaths as she walked to her room, sitting on her bed for a moment alone before she made her return. The baby was cute, she had to admit that. And yes, so tiny. What would she be to her? A sister? Would the Maitlands stick around, raise their baby in this house? 

“Hey scarecrow.” Beetlejuice’s voice in the doorway made her jump. As chaotic as he was, he could be quiet when he wanted to.

“Hey.” He came and sat next to her on the bed and looked down at his hands. His hair wasn’t as bright anymore; it was duller, like moss. 

“Sorry we scared you. They were just so excited, y’know.” Lydia nodded.

“I get it.” They sat in silence for a while, Lydia not wanting to admit what she was thinking, and Beetlejuice not knowing what to say.

Until he figured he had to say something. He cleared his throat. “Look, kid. This is gross and I hate to be the one to say it out loud, but, y’know they’re still going to love you, right? They do still love you.” He shuddered and stuck his tongue out as if the words tasted bad on his tongue. 

“You try too hard,” Lydia laughed. “We all know you’re a big softie.” 

“I am not,” he protested, letting the easy banter hang in the air for a moment. “I’m serious, Lyds. You gotta know that.” 

Lydia sighed. “Thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry again for the late chapter! I had to move back into the dorms and then had a little accident. All is well now! This story is wrapping up, and Beetlejuice knows about feelings!
> 
> As always, let me know what you think! Name reveal coming next chapter... Which will be the last!


	10. Chapter 10

The baby name process was long and laborious. The Maitlands wouldn’t let anyone know what they were thinking until the paperwork was signed, insisting that they wanted it to be a surprise. As if something everyone was working on together could be a surprise. 

When they finally decided, it was dinnertime. Lydia was holding the baby, who, overall, was a very good baby. She had woken up and fussed a few times during the day, but she was easily soothed back to sleep with rocking or a ghost-enchanted bottle. She already looked a little bigger than she had that morning; maybe being out of the Netherworld made her grow faster. Or maybe that’s just how she grew. Lydia had spent most of the day reading through the baby handbook, but it wasn’t clear on how the growing thing worked. All it said is that it would happen, and at varying rates.

“Alright, alright. We’ve decided! Everyone come in here!” Barbara called, summoning Delia from the kitchen, and Charles and (a reluctant) Beetlejuice from the attic, where they had been hauling the furniture Adam summoned. 

Barbara stacked the papers in a nice pile and handed them to Beetlejuice. “Would you send these… Wherever they need to be sent? Don’t peek!” 

“You’re just going to tell me in two seconds anyway,” he retorted, but he did as Barbara asked. One second the papers were in his hand, the next they were poofed away to whatever desk registered post-mortem name changes in the Netherworld. 

“This is so exciting,” Delia chattered, practically bouncing up and down. Charles put his arm around her.

“First of all, we’d like to thank you for allowing us to bring our baby into your home,” Barbara starts. “Bringing a child home unexpectedly is not in the good-roommate-rules, but we’re grateful for your support.” 

“You know it’s your home too,” Delia argued, although more out of habit than wanting to actually start that conversation. She just wanted to know the name. Barbara smiled at her.

“After a lot of careful consideration,” Adam started, “we have decided to name her…” he paused for dramatic effect. A _long_ pause.

“Out with it!” Charles finally said, surprising the group. They didn’t think he would be that invested. Lydia looked down at the baby in her arms, ready to see if her name would match her face.

“Lauren Anne Maitland.” There were coos and sighs from the family, and a distinct “white” hidden within a particular demon’s fake cough. 

Lydia did think the name fit her, but she whipped her head up in surprise and stared at the couple. “Lauren?” she asked, clarifying what she had just heard.

“Is there something wrong?” Barbara asked, her smile faltering.

“Lauren, as in,” she didn’t know if she should say it. “As in _Lawrence_?” The Maitlands' mouths dropped open.

“Oh hey!” Beetlejuice crowed, just realizing the connection himself. “Yeah, that’s my name! Nice of you guys to name your kid after me, I’ll be a real role model, I promise.” 

“No, we can’t-” Adam doesn’t even know how to finish the sentence. “Why didn’t you say anything? You saw the paper!” he huffed. 

“You told me not to look! And besides, I can’t get it back now. I’m glad you think so highly of me.” Beetlejuice dissolves into a fit of laughter. 

“It isn’t like anyone here calls him that anyway,” Barbara said, still not looking very pleased. “And I’d like everyone to know that this was not our intention!”

“Oh Babs, you love me and you know it,” Beetlejuice quipped back. 

“It does fit her,” Lydia finally said, looking back down at the baby--Lauren. “She looks like a Lauren.” 

“Well if Lydia approves, then it must be right.” Barbara’s voice has softened, the initial shock wearing off, replaced with the satisfaction of her adopted daughter’s approval. She wrapped her arms around Lydia’s shoulders, resting her chin there while she looked down at Lauren.

“We’re going to make a great family,” She whispered, leaning her head into Lydia’s. Lydia leaned her head back against Barbara’s. “The daughters I never had.” 

Lydia wasn’t ready to admit it yet, but she was starting to love Lauren, which felt impossible. She had so many people already to love, it felt useless to expect that she could love someone new. But she did. And if she could, surely the Maitlands could, too. Maybe they didn’t have to love her just because she filled a hole. Maybe they could love her just because they loved her. And even though they still filled a hole for her, maybe she could love _them_ just because she loved them. 

It might be a little different from the way it was, but Lydia thought she could be happy in a family like that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the last chapter! The name reveal! Sorry for the terrible name joke, but I've had it in my head too long not to go through with it! Thanks to bookworm6570 who came up with the name Anna, which I modified to Anne! Also thank you to Ella_Twitch; I did come really close to using Hope! It just didn't flow quite the way I wanted. 
> 
> And we've got a nice cheesy ending that ends in a different point of view than the story starts in. That's a BIG no-no in creative writing, but there was no way for me to rewrite it, and honestly, I liked it ending on Lydia. The Maitlands got their emotional closure a few chapters ago, but she still needed a little more. I hope you enjoyed it! As always, please let me know what you thought! I love to see everyone's comments!
> 
> I had a ton of fun writing this! I don't have any plans for future fics, but if you have any suggestions, feel free to let me know here or on Tumblr (@jadeduck-writes). I may do some occasional one shots with this family, I may go a different direction. I may get too stressed to write now that school is back in session (I hope not)--who knows!
> 
> Thank you to everyone for the kudos and very kind feedback. I loved seeing everyone's reactions to the story, and I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I hope the ending did the rest of it justice!
> 
> For now, this is the end. I'll see you (hopefully) on the next fic!
> 
> -jadeduck


End file.
